Process of producing alkali and alkaline-earth-metal hydrids.



UNITED STATES BATE-NT OFFICE.

FLOR TINE J, MAOH'ALSKEO'F B ooKLY-N, NEW YORK, Assleno TO FREDERICK DARLINGTON, OF GREAT BA RINe'roN, MAssAouUs T'rs.

' rnocrss .or PRODUCING ALKALI AND ALKALINE-EARTH-METAL,HYDRIDSI Specification of Letters .Patent. A A licant filed July-12, 1906. smart. 269,424.

T all whom it 71mg concern:

Be it known that I, FLORENTINE J/MA- ouALsKE', a citizen of the United'States, resid- ,mg at Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Processes of 1 Producing Alkali and Alkaline-Earth-Metal Hydrids, of which the following is a specification.

According to, this process acompound of an alkali or an alkaline-earth metal-for example, an oXid, carbonate, chlorid, sulfate,

' tionof a saturated hydrocarbon, specifically methane or natural gas, thereby producing a hydrid of the metal and by-produots dependout on the compound employed.

' For the purpose ofillustration a series of typical reactions will be described in which a calcium compound is employed, i't bein understood that the mode of procedure an the reactions when com ounds of other metals are used are precise ysimilar.

The compound is preferably crushed and dehydrated and heated to the re uired temperature inan electric furnace o the resistance type, an electric current, preferably alternating, of from two thousand amperes at fifty volts to three thousand three hundred and fifty amperes at thirty volts being employed in a furnace of the usual size. A stream of natural gas is then introduced into the furnace, and the reaction between the heated. metallic compound and the hydrocarbon proceeds until substantially all of the meta has been converted into a hydrid. A non-oxidizing atmosphere is maintained in the furnace during the operation.

'When calcium/oxid and methane are the reacting compounds,- the products are cal cium ,hydrid, carbon monoxid, and hydrogen, the reaction being represented by the following equation:

When a carbonate is employed, the prodnets are the same as with an oxid, the reactionbeing as follows: I

2 caoo, 2011. =oaH, 300 +611. -When chlorids of the metals are employed,

I the chlorin combines with the carbon of the methane to produce chlorids of carbon, a valuable by-product, the reactions being represented by the equations:

The reaction for the sulfate is represented by the equation:

5) oaso. +0H'. =oaH +00 -+11 0 +-so,.

When a su-lfid is employed, the by-product q Patented Sept. 2c, 1905. q

is thioformaldehyde, thejreaction being as v follows: q

(6) 3CaS son; =3oaH (Ines Either a carbid or a cyanamid of one metal or a doublecarbid of cyanamid may be employed, the several reactions being representedby the equations:

[OaH Na H 3ON N.-

The charge may also consist of a mixture of two or .more different compounds of the metal or of different metals. When a mixture of calcium cyanamid and calcium sulfid is used, the reaction is as follows:

11) [CaCN +2OaS]+2OH u I 3OaI-I +=C+2HO NS. Alkali and alkaline-earth-m'etal' hydrids are a convenient source of hydrogemwhich is 1. The process of producing alkali and alkaline-earth-metal hydrids, which consists I'o o in reacting With a saturated hydrocarbon on a compound of an alkali 'or an alkaline-earth A metal at a temperature sufficient-to effect re duction of the compound'and combination ofits base with hydro en, as set forth.

2. The process o producin ,alkali andat kaline-earth-metal hydrids, w I ich consists in electrically heating to a high/ temperature a compound of an alkali or an alkaline-earth kaline-earth-nretzrl hydrids, which eonsists in metal, and reacting on the heated compound r electrically henting to a high tempernlnre n with a saturated hydrocarbon, as set forth. compound of an nllurli or an nlhnlirre-enrl h 3. The process of producing alkali and almetal, and reacting, on the healed compound 1 5 keline-earth-metal hydrids, which consists in with methane, as set forth.

reacting with methane on a compound of an I In testimony whereol' l nllix my signature alkali or an alkaline-earth metal at a tem- 1n presence of two witnesses.

compound and combination of its base with Witnesses: 10 hydrogen, as set forth. JonN ll. Monon,

perature sufiicient to efieot reduction of the FLORENTINE J. MACIIALSKJC.

4. The process of producing alkali and ali BERNIIARD Lm'rz. 

